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A solvent- and temperature-dependent intramolecular equilibrium of diamagnetic and paramagnetic states in Co
Linda Schnaubelt1, Holm Petzold1, Evgenia Dmitrieva2
1Technische Universität Chemnitz, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, 09107 Chemnitz, Germany. heinrich.lang@chemie.tu-chemnitz.de.
Abstract:
Complexes [Co(L)2](ClO4)2 (L = o-substituted 2-(pyridine-2-yl)-1,10-phenanthrolines 1a-c) containing three redox active centres (a Co2+ ion and two triaryl amine (Tara) units) have been synthesised. The order of oxidation steps in [Co(L)2](ClO4)2 (L = 1a-c) was determined using cyclic voltammetry and EPR/UV-vis-NIR spectroelectrochemistry. In acetonitrile solutions, at room temperature, the first oxidation is Co-centred followed by the Tara oxidation at more anodic potentials. The order of oxidation is inverted in solutions of the less polar solvent dichloromethane. The Co3+/2+-centred redox event leads to a spin transition between the paramagnetic high-spin (HS) Co2+ and the diamagnetic low-spin (LS) Co3+ state, which was proven using 1H NMR and EPR spectroscopy. After one-electron oxidation of [Co(L)2](ClO4)2, an equilibrium between the diamagnetic [Co3+(L)]3+ and paramagnetic [Co2+(L)(L+)]3+ state in [Co(L)2]3+ (L = 1a-c) was found. Cyclic voltammetry showed enhanced intermolecular electron transfer between the [Co2+(L)2]2+ and [Co3+(L)2]3+ redox states mediated by [Co2+(L)(L+)]3+. Variable temperature vis-NIR spectroscopy of in situ generated [Co(L)2]3+ revealed a temperature-dependent redox equilibrium between the [Co3+(L)2]3+ and the [Co2+(L+)(L)]3+ states (L = 1a-c). Magnetic coupling between the HS-Co2+ ion and the Tara+ radical in [HS-Co2+(L+)(L)]3+ (L = 1a,c) was deduced from broad and undetectable lines observed in the corresponding EPR spectra. Complete oxidation to [LS-Co3+(L+)2]5+ (L = 1a,c) leads to characteristic EPR spectra of Tara biradicals with non-interacting spins.
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